The Department of Nanotechnology in collaboration with the Department of Information Technology at North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) and IIT Bhillai organised a one day workshop titled ‘An Interactive Trial and Live Demo of Maidful: An App Designed to Connect Housemaids and Employers Through Innovation’.
The programme was inaugurated by Cornelius Kharkongor, Rangbah Shnong of Mawlai Mawtawar, who was the chief guest, while Prof Md Iftekhar Hussain, Dean of NEHU’s School of Technology attended as the guest of honour.
The event featured a live demonstration of the trial version of the Maidful app, where participating housemaids had the opportunity to access and use the application first-hand.
The demo was presented by Iainehskhem Nongsiej, research associate of the project team. The outreach aimed to provide domestic workers with a digital solution for employment, offering them a platform to connect with potential employers based on their specific skills and availability.
The Maidful project is led by Davidson Pyngrope, principal investigator, Hussain and K Amitab as co-principal investigators. The research team also includes Nongsiej and Skhembor Sohphoh as research associates.
In his address, Pyngrope introduced the app to the participants and emphasised the challenges faced by housemaids in securing fair and consistent employment. “Maidful will bridge the gap by providing a secure and structured employment platform that ensures profile verification of both employers and domestic workers, thereby enhancing safety, transparency, and dignity in the hiring process,” he said.
Hussain praised the initiative and acknowledged the scheduling difficulties often faced by domestic workers. He highlighted that the bilingual nature of the app – Khasi and English – ensures accessibility for the local community.
